Every little Nebraska town has its own unique personality, and they’re all delightful in their own ways. This one town, however, has a claim to fame that’s so unusual you won’t find anything else like it in the state.
The village of Taylor, located in Loup County right smack in the middle of Nebraska, is a scenic little place. It is not, however, a booming metropolis.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
It never has been, actually - at its peak, the population was only around 400. But that number has been steadily declining for decades, and those who know and love this little gem want everyone else to know how great it is.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
In the early 2000s, local artist Marah Sandoz hatched a unique idea to get visitors to stop in little Taylor. She would bolster the village’s population herself.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
Sandoz began creating life-size plywood cutout people who she calls “villagers.” They represent what people in Taylor may have looked like in the early 20th century.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
The plywood people appear all over the village, seemingly living simple lives.
flickr/Ali Eminov
They stand beside buildings, on corners, in yards…
flickr/Ali Eminov
…And some of them look so lifelike that people driving through the town have stopped upon seeing them, waiting for the villagers to cross the street.
flickr/Ali Eminov
Each villager has his or her own personality; they’ve become familiar faces around town. Some are based on real people from history but most were born from the artist’s imagination.
flickr/Ali Eminov
When Sandoz comes up with an idea for a new villager, it’s often because she sees a place around Taylor that looks like it could do with an extra friendly face or two.
flickr/Ali Eminov
She’ll then create plywood people to stand there based on the location.
flickr/Ali Eminov
The artist’s goal is to create enough villagers to double the population of the village, which is currently 182 people. There are around 100 plywood villagers already, so the population has indeed increased by quite a bit.
flickr/Ali Eminov
And the unique roadside attraction has worked to draw travelers into this little town that they would normally pass right by. Passersby are intrigued by the plywood characters and want to know more, so they come to Taylor for the story.
flickr/Ali Eminov
The unique art project has created the kind of buzz that tiny villages don’t normally get. Taylor is known around the area – and, in fact, even through the state – as the town whose population is almost half wooden cutouts. Next time you’re in central Nebraska, be sure to stop in and see these wonderfully quirky characters – and don’t forget to stop by the local businesses to help keep this delightful town alive.
flickr/J. Stephen Conn
flickr/Ali Eminov
Just about half an hour away from Taylor is another town that’s anything but ordinary – read about it here.
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Address: Taylor, NE, USA
